Ovda Airport, נמל התעופה עובדה, اوفـدا مطار, is a military and civilian airport in Israel, and the country's second international airport, located in the south of the country about 60 km (40 miles) north of the city of Eilat. Ovda was originally built as a military airport in 1980 following Israel's withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula as part of the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty because the Israeli Air Force needed alternative airfields to its Sinai bases. Nowadays, the airport also serves as the destination for many commercial flights to Eilat, especially for large planes which cannot use the shorter runway at Eilat Airport, although it is still used by the air force. The airport is expected to cease civilian operations once that Eilat's new international airport should become operational.
Ovda Airport started out as an airbase for the Israeli Air Force, constructed by the United States as a replacement for Etzion Airbase. It opened in 1981. The Israeli Airports Authority began operations from Ovda Air Force Base in 1982, after the signing of the peace treaty with Egypt.Previously all charter flights from Europe had landed at Etzion, however this was one of three airports in the Sinai that were handed over to Egypt as part of the Camp David Accords. A civilian terminal was built at the airport which handled direct charter flights from Europe.
Ovda Airport is served by one international carrier and three domestic airlines, serving few destinations in Europe and Israel. The airport is also used as a substitute for the inner Eilat airport in different situations.
Airlines Destinations
Aeroflot Seasonal: Moscow-Sheremetyevo
Air Italy Polska Seasonal: Warsaw
Arkia Israel Airlines Haifa, Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion, Tel Aviv-Sde Dov
Seasonal: Paris-Charles de Gaulle
El Al Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion
Seasonal: Paris-Charles de Gaulle
Finnair Seasonal: Helsinki
Israir Haifa, Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion, Tel Aviv-Sde Dov
Seasonal: Moscow-Domodedovo
Primera Air Seasonal: Helsinki
Small Planet Airlines Seasonal: Tallinn
VIM Airlines Seasonal: Moscow
Enter Air Seasonal: Katowice
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